Roundabout and like amusement apparatus



n 14 192* 8 R. BLACKBURN ROUNDABOUT AND LIKE AMUSEMENT APPARATUS Filed Sept. 24. 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet l jjv'vzwroy F05 177 Buvcxa l/RIV A WORNE Y June 14, 1927.

R. BLACKBURN I ROUNDABOUT AND LIKE AMUSEMENT APPARATUS Filed Sept. 24, 1925 v. 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1v v'E. TOR ROBERT Buncna R ATTORNEY Patented June 14, 19 27.

- UNITED, STAT a BoUNnAso 'r AND LI E MusnMENr APPARAT S. a

Application filed Se tember 24 1925, Serial no; 58,404, and in Great. ma lin September 25, 1,924;

This inventionjre'lates to roundaboutsand like amusement. apparatus, and has for its obj set to provide an "apparatus of lllllSJklllCl of a novel and improved construction.

. eral passe According to the invention, a" rotatable platform is provided on which are mounted a number or carseach adapted to holdsevgers' for whomj seats ,a-re'provided.

A cover, which may suitably be in the form of a grotesque figure 'head,"is support; ed over each car and is adapted tobe raised and lowered. The cars are preferably adapted to run on track and the} cover or head flashes of light and gusts of air provided in.

is adapted to berotated relatively to the car so as to givethe passengers a sensationof rotation. This rotation may be controllable and, in combination with this cover, by-

which the passengers may be plunged into darkness or exposed to the light at the will "of the operator, the bottom of thecar' may tore resent a collar. The figure heads may also e provided with dummy head-phones and Within the head, or elsewhere in the car, maybe arranged a loud speaker either for the purpose of providing music, or weird noises to add to the confusion caused by the the course of, the ride, or telephone head pieces may be provided within the car for use by the passengers.

The accompanying drawings show one form of amusementapparatusmade accord-' ing to the invention in which:

Fig. 1 is a general and partsec-tional elevation one head being shown in the lowered position. v I

Fig.- 2 isa plan. a Fig. 3 is an elevation of one of the cars. Fig. A shows a plan of the gearing on the axle of the car.

Fig. 5 shows in sectional elevation the mechanism for raising the covers or heads.

The apparatus comprises a platform a rotatably mounted about a central column.

cars 6 each circular in the platform. I The sides of'the cars are aboutf2 ftjfiirisi high and an entrance door 0 is'provided in ROBERT BLACKBURN, or crroRLEY; ENGLANIFIASSIGNIOR r0 ;,1A3Em CATERPILLAR.

COMPANY, LIMITEn-or 0NDoN,.E1\ eLANn.,g a

On the platform, arranged at intervals, are;

I shape and secured to each car. Below each car isprovided a trol- 'ley (Z'running; on a track 6 arrangedbelow the platform at andin the centre of the is a vertical column 7 rotatably-moufnted' thereirr and provided with worm gearing g by which 1t 1s coupled for rotation to the axle h of'the trolley. The vertical columns;

byYtie'ro dsm to the central column. The head, formed ofstrong canvas stretched on a frame of "umbrella consonan s is mount ed on a 'sleeve n slidably "mountedon the upper portion of thevertical column f and is adaptedto be rotated thereby; lifting cable 0 passes down throughthe vertical column f to a swivel orlikejandfby means of a cross pin 111 a slot in the column f adaptedto raiseand lower the head. The

cables pass alongthejrespective-Qtierods to a common swivel sleeve-p onthelcen-tral column andthe headsar'e adapted to-be raised and lowered by a screw 9 and nut 7" on the central column. f Two double seats are provided in each car, back to back, on opposite sides of the vertical column 7".

Gratings are provided in the floor of the car and suitably arranged around the track will be blowers and light projectors over which The heads are each the gratings will pass. provided with drunmy head phones, though if desired aloud speaker may be incorporated in them. A loud speaker or like means will preferably be provided within, the car, either in the head or under the seat and will be automatically operated or controlled by.

the operator.

A description of a ride is as follows:

Four people Walkon the platform and get in a car,. two seated at each side of theupright shaft back to'back directly in the centre of the car. hoisted up a distance of three or four feet to enable the passengers to get seated in the car. As the platform begins to move the head revolves but does not descend until all the fares are collected. Then the headsare f are connected by linksk to one another and lowered and go on revolving, this giving the effect as though the Whole car was revolving.

Underneath the platform on the ground, va- ,7

rious pipes and strong lights are placed at The head has already been 1 intervals, and as the cars move along, different sensations are produced, through the perforated bottom of the car. In the extreme top of the head a loud speaker will be in stalled producing wireless music or other noises. On the outside of the head, a large pair of dummy head-phones will be fixed. As the platform stops the heads ascend and the passengers get out.

The combination of wind, light, noises and darkness, may be arranged to give the effect of a storm, and in factan infinite variation of sensations may be produced Microphones may be arranged in each car connected to the loud speaker in another car, being either connected for inter-comiminication, or so that the reply goes to a different car so as to add to the fun by the confusion of the answers.

It has been proposed in amusement apparatus in which a ride is provided in a car, to arrange a collapsible canopy which travels with the cars and can be unfolded to close upon the cars and their passengers or folded to expose them to view and where the cars traverse an undulating track the canopy has been arranged to rise and fall with the cars. Such canopy has been provided with partitions to form separate compartments for each car, but where this is done the canopy can have no movement relative to the cars other than in folding and unfolding. It has also been proposed to provide a separate canopy for each car, to obtain the motion for the folding and unfolding of the canopy from the motion of the cars and to provide wind blasts and flickering light ellecls within the cars. i

No claim is made to any such construction of canopy and no claim is made to the mechanism per se for obtaining the raising and lowering of the covers in this invention.

lVhat I claim is 1. An amusement apparatus comprising a circular track, a rotary platform on wheels engaging said track and a series of cars carried by said rotary platform, seats in said cars, a vertical shaft projecting through each car with means operated by the travel of said car for rotating said shaft. a collapsible canvas cover carried by said shaft and turning therewith, and means for moving said cover vertically on said shaft while said shaft is being rotated, substantially as shown and described.

2. An amusement apparatus con'lprising '1 circular track, a rotary platform on wheels engaging said track and a series of cars carried by said rotary platform, seats in said cars, a latticed floor, adapted to permit the passage of light and air, provided in front of each seat, a vertical shaft projecting through each car with means operated by the travel of said car for rotating said shaft. a collapsible canvas cover carried by said shaft and turning therewith, and means for moving said cover vertically on said shaft while said shaft is being rotated, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature.

ROBERT BLACKBURN. 

